REHOBOTH BEACH, Del - CHEER Senior Beach Day returned to Rehoboth Beach on Tuesday for its 31st year. Seniors from across Delaware were able to enjoy their favorite boardwalk foods and stores while listening to live music and taking in the beautiful summer-like fall weather.
A constant stream of shuttle buses helped seniors attending Beach Day get from the convention center to the bandstand.
"It's an opportunity for senior citizens throughout the state of Delaware to come here to Rehoboth to enjoy the beach," says CHEER CEO Ken Bock. "In the convention center we have a health fair. We have all kinds of vendors."
This is Angela Jervey's third year at this event. "I want my beach fries," she says.
Angela's daughter Susan joins her for the first time.
"We get to hang out and I met all her friends at the senior center," she says.
Temperatures hitting the high seventies, make the beach day feel like summer. Ken Bock says CHEER has seen a variety different weather in this event's 31 years. "We've had hot days, but we've also had hurricane days," he explains.
Bock says this year's beautiful weather makes for a perfect Senior Beach Day to dedicate to its founder. "Miss Eleanor Cain passed away this passed year," says Bock. "She's been a long time advocate for senior citizens and has had so much to do with establishing programs and services."
Beach Day brings about 1,000 seniors to downtown Rehoboth and businesses say that it's this event and the beautiful weather that brings more customers through their doors.
"In the summer stores like ours always pray for a little bit of rain," says Carlton's Owner Trey Kraus. "This time of year we always pray for sun and we're getting good sun, good weather, brings people out."
That good weather also brings people out to try fall flavors at the Spice and Tea Exchange. "Spiced pumpkin chai latte, spiced autumn pear, warm bread pudding," associate Chris Huskey names a few. "Where you think that you're going to have a lot of parking spaces, you really aren't because people are just flocking down here."
This is the first Senior Beach Day to be held in three years. Organizers say the event wasn't able to be held while the convention center was under construction.
